I recently took a trip to New Orleans and was, of course, driven partly to carry alcohol in an open container and partly to learn about, and acquire, traditional New Orleans masks.
Now there are masks everywhere in The Big Easy. Every gas station, pharmacy and tourist trap shop within a 5 mile radius of Bourbon Street and the French Quarter stocks a variety of plastic Mardi Gras masks that were probably made in China. Some of them are actually quite pretty, but what struck me the most is that these masks are intended to be worn. There are not many modern cultures that I can think of (outside of Halloween festivals) where mask wearing is so commonplace. Sure, that culture is mainly a tourist or festival culture, but wonderful for a mask enthusiast nonetheless.
The masks are mainly intended for the Mardi Gras or “Fat Tuesday” (the literal English translation) festivals. Like it’s Southern Hemisphere counterparts, Mardi Gras in New Orleans celebrates the last day of complete freedom before Lent starts on Ash Wednesday and you have to give up something to show Jesus you still love him.
So before your forty days without caffeine or beer or whatever it is you think is worth sacrificing, you let go and have a party. The “letting go” is part of the mask wearing idea (you’re staying anonymous while you act like an idiot), but there are a couple of other historical tie-ins. Historically, masks allowed a temporary break with social division; the aristocracy and the lower classes could mingle in a public arena without losing face (excuse the pun.) More importantly, is the idea of krewes. Krewes are the clubs, organizations and groups that put on the parades and parties, organize the floats and the festivals. In the past (and still to some degree today) the krewes were run by secret societies or high society types – both wanting to keep their identities private while parading in the streets. Obviously neither group were wearing Chinese, machine-molded masks to accomplish this.
Even with the mass of $9.99 plastic masks lining the streets, there are still some truly wonderful mask makers left in New Orleans. For those willing to spend big bucks, there are hand-made, imported Venetian masks, beautifully put-together in porcelain and cut crystals. They range from $200 on the low end to $2000 for show-offs. Fantastic and elaborate as they are however, they’re not made in New Orleans for a New Orleans festival. I’m not sure why you would want to wear a traditional Italian festival mask to a festival 5325 miles away.
Hand made masks in New Orleans are extremely varied. You’ll see them covered in glitter and gold, jewels and semi-precious stones, sequined fabrics and a host of other lavish materials. You’ll also find them in all shapes and sizes, often imitating the long nosed Venetian “Medico Della Peste”. However, after speaking to a few New Orleans mask makers, I discovered the traditional style of a Louisianan Mardi Gras mask is a eye-mask adorned with feathers. The feathers are usually rooster feathers, chosen for their matching colors or dyed. The masks are often covered in a broche or jeweled or sequined fabric, and made from a paper mache (or similar, flexible material) back.
If you’re a collector looking to wall or post mount one of these you might have a little trouble. Almost all of them tie in the back with a lace or cord. They will mount flat against a wall, but the problem is that you will loose some of the shape of the feathers. The mask is designed to be worn, so the feathers often form a dramatic curve which is lost if flat mounted. To get around this, you can tie the mask to a Styrofoam head, or half head and you’ll get the full effect.
There are a few places that still make decent masks. You can pick up a really nice one for somewhere between $80 and $300 depending on the size and splendor. They’ll have a selection in their stores or on their sites to purchase, but if you want a custom made one they can take up to six weeks. Fortunately, if you in town and pick up one of these beautiful masks, and you feel that leaving it in your own hands to transport (especially given your likely inebriated state) the stores will gladly ship it to you… carefully.
Check out:
Serendipitous Masks
www.serendipitousmasks.com
831 Decatur St
New Orleans, LA 70116-3302
(504) 522-9158
or
Little Shop of Fantasy
515 Saint Louis St
New Orleans, LA 70130
http://www.neworleansmasks.com/
504-529-4243